Neon Genesis Evangelion: College Of Chaos
by pika247
Summary: AU set in the US. Nineteen years after Second Impact, Eric Braddock joins NERV and the canon pilots as the pilot of the experimental Evangelion Unit 17. With the Angels being a constant threat, the pilots also must deal with school, inner demons, and each other. Expect inspiration from multiple Eva canons, altered backstories and altered personalities.
1. Welcome To NERV

**[**_**Neon Genesis Evangelion/Rebuild of Evangelion **_**and all of its canon characters are property of Hideaki Anno, Studio Gainax, and Studio Khara. They are not owned by me. Some of the locations, Evas, Angels, and characters in this story are my own creations though]**

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><p><strong>NERV- Stone Grotto, IL Facility; 2015 AD<strong>

Sneakers squeaked along the floor as she continued down the hallway towards the office of Project E's lead scientist.

Claire Braddock smiled. Ever since the facility at Stone Grotto had been reassigned as NERV's headquarters a few months before, the work on the special Beast-type Evangelion being developed there had progressed exponentially under the direction of Ritsuko Akagi.

Braddock subconsciously brushed a strand of her light brown hair back as she came to the door, rapping her knuckles on the window next to it soon after. This action caused the doctor to look up from her laptop and notice her.

"Hey Doc, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not at all, did you need something, Claire?"

The twenty-four year old took a seat across from Dr. Akagi. "Yeah, it's about the Evas' synchronization."

"What about it?"

"Well, I've been doing some thinking, and I have a theory."

* * *

><p>Neon Genesis Evangelion:<p>

College Of Chaos

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Welcome to NERV<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Stone Grotto, IL; 2019 AD. Present Day<strong>

What the _hell _was going on here?

Eric Braddock had expected new experiences as a freshman at Nevelson College, but being dragged to the headquarters of an organization that was part of the UN by his roommate and said roommate's friend was not one he had considered.

Yet, here he was, barely over a week into the semester, and that's precisely what was happening.

His kelly green eyes darted between the two in front of him, completely bamboozled. His expression obviously caught his roommate's attention. Shinji Ikari sighed, "Like Rei said, Dr. Akagi will explain everything when we get there."

"Yup, yup!" Rei Ayanami chimed in cheerfully.

As they neared the giant pyramid structure that sat at the edge of Stone Grotto, Eric began to get an idea of just how big the thing was. He had seen the sleek, black building from afar, but distance always seems to distort one's perception of size.

As the afternoon sun beat down on them from above, the giant shadow finally got near. The three students walked up the steps and entered the massive building.

In the center of the building's entrance hall floor was a logo that read "NERV: God's in his heaven, all is right with the world."

Rei skipped ahead of them, making her way over to an elevator. "They're waiting for us down on B20"

"_B20?! This place has twenty basement floors? What do they need all that room for?" E_ric pondered as the three of them filed into the metal box.

The ride down to B20 seemed to take forever, but finally the doors parted. "Dr. Akagi, Misato, we're here." Rei called out.

The two women turned to greet them. "Good," Ritsuko said.

"About time you got here, you idiots!" A voice called out to them from off to the side. Eric recognized the girl from his general biology class. She was propped against the right wall, arms folded and looking at the three new arrivals with piercing blue eyes.

"Oh, hi Asuka." Shinji smirked. Dealing with Asuka Langley Soryu would be something Eric would need to get used to, or he'd never make it as an Eva pilot.

The redhead turned her gaze to Eric. "So you're supposed to be the Fourth Child, huh? You don't look that impressive. I don't see why we need another pilot anyway, we can take the angels down with just the three of us."

"Uhh, Fourth Child? Pilot? Angels? I'm lost."

Ritsuko laughed, "Eric Braddock, I presume? I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head of Project E here at NERV. Your questions are about to be answered."

Braddock raised an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for said answers.

"Where to begin?" Ritsuko pondered. She adjusted her glasses, "I suppose it's best to just show you. Alright, everyone back in the elevator."

The four teenagers and both women filed into the small box, which became somewhat crowded with six people in it. Dr. Akagi pressed the button for "CG" and the elevator whirred to life, beginning its descent.

The purple haired woman turned to Eric and smiled at him. "I'm Captain Misato Katsuragi, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

Eric nodded. "Likewise."

Finally, the elevator slowed and the doors parted with a chirp.

"All right, this way." Ritsuko took the lead, turning to the right and leading them down the same hallway she and Misato had traversed yesterday, coming to a stop before the door for cage four.

"Evangelion?" Eric read off the first word printed on the door.

"After the Second Impact, it was revealed that beings known as Angels would arrive in nineteen years to finish off what was left of humanity." Akagi began, "so, mankind devised the most advanced weapons of all time in order to combat the Angels when they arrive."

She swiped her ID and the door opened, the group following her inside. "These weapons are what we call the synthetic life forms, the Evangelions."

The lights in the cage fired up, revealing its dormant occupant to all.

Eight teenage eyes scanned the massive creature, all almost immediately noticing the size of the head, particularly the massive, toothy jaws that seemed to be grinning at them in some sort of demonic smile.

"Wow, so this is it, huh?!" Rei finally managed to squeal, clearly impressed with it.

Asuka huffed, "Please, it's not _that _impressive, wondergirl."

Eric found his gaze fixed upon the faint, green glow emanating from the black cavities that served as the eyes. He felt a shiver go down his spine, as it _seemed to be staring at him_. "This is Evangelion Unit 17." Dr. Akagi announced.

Braddock finally seemed to regain his ability to speak, tearing his gaze away from the thing's eyes. "Why did you bring me here? Why are you showing me this?"

"I'm showing you this because," Ritsuko stared directly at him, "Eric Braddock, you have been chosen as its pilot."

Suddenly, the room seemed to spin as he stumbled backwards, Shinji and Rei catching him.

"Really? This was your pick for Unit 17's pilot, Dr. Akagi? He's pathetic!" Asuka jeered.

"Hey, it's a lot to take in at once!" came the retort, Braddock finally having regained his bearings. Soryu merely rolled her eyes at him.

Eric sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're serious then? You want me to pilot this, this _thing_, and use it to fight what you're calling Angels?"

There were nods from both Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi.

"I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter?"

"Well, unless you want to be monitored twenty-four seven and your actions heavily restricted since you're now in possession of classified information, no you really don't" came Akagi's reply.

His face contorted with disdain at the presentation of his alternative. But maybe piloting the thing wouldn't be so bad. Not many boys his age could say they piloted a giant robot to protect mankind. A slight smirk crossed his face. "Alright, looks like I have no other choice. I'll do it."

"I thought so," The scientist beamed, "Welcome aboard, Fourth Child."

"Fourth Child?"

"It's our numbering system for the Eva pilots. Rei is the First Child, Asuka's the Second, Shinji's the Third, and now you're the Fourth." Captain Katsuragi explained. "It's basically a code name."

"I . . . see."

* * *

><p>Eric looked down at what he was now wearing; something that Dr. Akagi had called a plugsuit. The top section was very bulky, with various vent and port like objects in it, a black "17" emblazoned on the chest. The top half was the same color blue as Unit 17's armor, while the suit was primarily silver from the abdomen down. "Is this really necessary?"<p>

It was in no way uncomfortable, but the fact that it was skintight embarrassed him. It felt like he was wearing practically nothing. He could deal with the interface headset, two blue nodes that rested on his head and were connected together by a band that ran around behind the back of his head.

"The plugsuit isn't really required, but it does help with your synchronization with the Eva, and it has various life support functions." Dr. Akagi explained via the two-way communications link with the cockpit.

With him agreeing to pilot the Eva, an activation test was the next step, which was how Eric had arrived at this current predicament: inside the Eva's entry plug, as the cockpit was called, and wearing a form-fitting suit.

Ritsuko, Misato, Shinji, Rei, and Asuka watched from the observation box that overlooked Unit 17's cage. Lieutenant Maya Ibuki was in charge of running the test as Dr. Akagi supervised.

"Now flooding entry plug." Maya announced, flicking a switch. Back in the plug, a dark amber liquid began to flood the cylindrical space.

"What the hell?! Are you trying to drown me?!"

Ritsuko sighed, "Relax, Eric, the LCL is breathable and will oxygenate your blood directly."

He was skeptical, but as the liquid-which smelled a lot like blood- engulfed him, he found that he was indeed, able to breathe. "Couldn't you have told me about that _before _you went and did it?!"

Asuka's eyes narrowed with irritation, "That guy complains too much." She muttered under her breath.

"Initiating secondary contact."

The inside of the plug began to pulse a variety of colors before the walls finally became transparent and Eric could see the cage before him.

"_A-10 neuro connections nominal; LCL charge complete." _He could hear Maya say_."Synapse synchronization rate: 48.27 percent."_

"Hmm, that's the lowest of all four pilots, but it's definitely workable." Ritsuko stared over the Lieutenant's shoulder at the data.

The neon green glow from within the Eva's eyes intensified and it let out a low growl, while inside the plug, Eric could feel a sense of . . . . . familiarity from the beast.

"_Everything is nominal. Unit 17 has activated."_

* * *

><p>Eric rotated the black NERV ID card around in his hand, his picture staring back at him. "So, I'm now the pilot of two hundred foot tall cyborg tyrannosaur, huh?" He asked from the back seat of Misato's car as she gave the pilots a ride back to the dorm. Rei giggled from the other end of the back seat, Shinji between the two of them and Asuka silent in the passenger seat.<p>

"I'm sure you'll get used to the thought soon enough." Misato said over her shoulder.

"Maybe I will. But one thing's for sure: life just got a whole lot more interesting."


	2. The Final Day Of Tranquility

Chapter 2: The Final Day of Tranquility

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><p>"Gott, can't you do something about your snoring, wondergirl?!" Asuka Langley Soryu was cranky this Sunday morning, her plans to sleep in having been foiled by her roommate's snoring at 7:00 AM.<p>

"Sorry, Asuka." Rei Ayanami chuckled nervously, having finally been awoken when the redhead got so tired of listening to her snore that she'd thrown a pillow at her.

Asuka simply mumbled something in German before heaving a sigh. Now she just needed to figure out what she was going to do with her day. Her homework had all been finished Friday and had hardly been a challenge to someone as smart as she was.

That obviously out of the question, she found her gaze wandering over to the Playstation 3 that sat next to the girls' TV. Video games could only keep her occupied for so long before she got tired of playing, but as things stood now, it was her best bet.

Or so she thought.

As she reached for the power switch on the back of the console, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it."

A girl with shoulder length blown hair and standing a few inches shorter than Asuka greeted her. It was a face Soryu recognized instantly, causing her to smile. "Hi Hikari."

* * *

><p>"Remind me how we let Ken drag us into this again?" Toji Suzuhara looked to Shinji who walked beside him as they followed their long time friend Kensuke Aida to the local museum for some special exhibit on military history.<p>

Ikari shrugged, having to look up since Toji was at least a head taller than him. "He really wanted to go, and it's not like we had anything better to do today."

"Mreh, I guess." Suzuhara conceded.

"Hurry up you two!" Kensuke called excitedly from the street corner ahead of them.

Shinji smirked. With how excited his friend was over this exhibit, he figured the military buff would have a field day if he knew about the Evas. _"Hell, he'd probably faint with envy if he found out I was a pilot."_

"What are you smiling about, Ikari?" Toji asked, suspicious of his friend.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

><p>With the Fourth Child selected and Unit 17 activated, Misato wasn't needed at work today, so she found herself relaxing at home this afternoon. Having just taken a nice hot bath, she lay stretched out on the couch with a can of her favorite beer in her hand.<p>

There was the sound of a freezer opening and closing in the kitchen, followed by the clicking of taloned feet on the tile floor. Soon, there was a beaked, feather-clad face staring at her over the end of the couch.

Captain Katsuragi let out a giggle. "Enjoy today's paper, Pen Pen?"

"Wark!"

She smiled at the warm water penguin, now her only roommate again. That hadn't been the case two weeks ago. Katsuragi glanced up at a picture hanging on the wall, depicting her, Shinji, and Asuka a year ago.

Commander Ikari wanted nothing to do with his son, and Asuka needed someone to look after her while she was stationed at NERV-1, away from her father and her stepmother.

So, Misato had taken in the two kids for the four years preparing them for the Angels' arrival, but now that they were in college, she thought it best for them to live in the dorms like normal kids.

Now she found herself sitting here, missing them. It was anyone's guess how she'd managed to survive this long without Shinji around to cook.

To her credit, she was trying to get better, and she thought she was doing all right.

She would be in for a rude awakening if her feathered critic could speak English or Japanese.

* * *

><p>Eric stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out if he had dreamed yesterday up or not.<p>

Shinji had offered for him to tag along to go see some exhibit with his friends, but Eric had politely turned his fellow pilot down since he had homework to finish.

In his defense, he was currently _trying_ to do his homework, but everything that had happened the day before just kept swimming around in his mind.

He grabbed his wallet and opened it, finding the NERV ID card right where he had put it last night.

"Guess yesterday was as real as it gets."

* * *

><p>She wasn't exactly sure why Hikari insisted that Rei come along as well, but Asuka had to admit it felt great to get out for once.<p>

"This was a fantastic idea!" She exclaimed as the three of them sat at a table in a café on 31st street. "Sure beats the food in the mess hall."

Hikari Horaki smiled, "Yeah, I figured it would be nice to get out for once. Maybe after this we can browse some of the shops around town too."

"Hikari, I like the way you think." Rei chirped.

The corner of Asuka's mouth turned up slightly, "For a change, I agree with wondergirl."

* * *

><p>"OH MY GOD, A PTRD-41 ANTI-TANK RIFLE! WHAT A BEAUTY!"<p>

Shinji couldn't help but be amused as his friend gawked at the massive gun. Toji, on the other hand, had his face in the palm of his hand.

Kensuke went on about how the PTRD was a Russian gun used all the way back in World War II. The rest of it was just technical babble to him, but Shinji didn't mind. Although probably nowhere near as much as Aida was, he was having fun. It had been a while since he'd last hung out with his two best friends.

He could sense that Toji felt the same way, considering that Shinji could see his friend's mouth form into a smile behind his hand.

As they continued on through the exhibit, Shinji felt a kind of sadness in the back of his mind as he realized that this way of life might soon be threatened. The Angels would be coming, and he would have to pilot Unit 01 to fight them.

He didn't really want to fight. Hell, he didn't even know if it would be worth it to try fighting. The Angels might end up being too strong. But enjoyable moments like this might just be worth fighting for. With that resolve, he put the issue to rest for now.

* * *

><p>As the sun set over Stone Grotto that day, none would be completely prepared for what was to happen the next. This would be mankind's last day of tranquility for some time. The might of the heavens was about to descend upon them.<p>

Every animal on Earth can sense it. In their cages, so too, can the mighty Evas sense the awakening of their foe.

It is the first messenger and the first of Adam's children.

The Third Angel

The Wrath of God

_**Za'afiel**_


	3. Wrath

Chapter 3: Wrath

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><p>He stared at the visage of the massive cyborg, almost as if in a trance. Eyes peering past the lenses of his amber glasses as he focused on the yellow optics. The enormous, horned face of Evangelion Unit 01 did not seem to acknowledge his presence at all. Eyes not moving, he uttered one word; a single name.<p>

"Yui."

"Sixteen years have passed, and we still don't know if it was all for naught." Commander Gendo Ikari broke his gaze away from the monstrous weapon as he was spoken to. "Ah, hello, Fuyutsuki."

Sub Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki strode up next to his younger superior and shifted his gaze towards Unit 01. "The Evangelions certainly are impressive, but the question of whether or not they can stand up to the Angels remains to be answered."

There was a moment of silence between the two men. Ikari adjusted his glasses.

"I have faith in them. Yui believed in Project E, and I don't see a reason not to as well." With that, he began to walk away. "Besides, we have to trust in them now. Mankind has no time left."

* * *

><p>A three toed foot smashed into the ground as Za'afiel advanced towards Stone Grotto. It stood three hundred feet tall and seemed to possess no arms, just two long tendrils that extended from its shoulders. In between said shoulders was a skull-like head; sporting jaws lined with oversized, razor-sharp teeth that made it look quite demonic. In the center of its chest was a glowing red orb, surrounded by rib-like structures.<p>

The NERV staff members in Central Dogma merely looked at the grotesque creature on the screen as it advanced through a cornfield in Iowa. Finally, the data they were awaiting arrived from the Magi supercomputers.

"Analysis complete. . . . pattern is blue. It's an Angel." First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga announced.

Commander Ikari watched silently from the highest point of the command center, hands steepled in front of his mouth and light reflecting eerily off of his glasses. Sub Commander Fuyutsuki stood behind him, also silent.

"So, it has finally arrived, the Third Angel. Looks like its time to put the Evas to the test." Ritsuko mused, glancing over at Misato.

"I'm on it already." Katsuragi responded preemptively before whipping out her phone and sending a text summoning all four Eva pilots to HQ. "Sound the alarm and get everyone off the streets. Raise the energy barriers around the city blocks." She ordered.

"I hope those barriers will hold. This stinks. Tokyo-3 was much better suited for an Angel attack. Damn Japanese government, kicking us out."

"The Evas are quite intimidating, as is the concept of being attacked by Angels. I can see why they got cold feet." Ritsuko responded to Misato's complaints.

Katsuragi huffed. "I think they were watching too many Godzilla movies."

* * *

><p>A siren, normally used to signal dangerous weather, cut through the air above Stone Grotto. Civilians scampered inside buildings to reach safety.<p>

There were, of course, four exceptions. They had all gotten the same text from Misato. It read two words.

"Angel attack."

Shinji Ikari ran as fast as he could towards NERV Headquarters, the air crackling with electricity as transparent domes of energy encased the buildings.

There was a click as his ID card was swiped, allowing him access to the building. The Third Child arrived at the elevator, which would take him down to the locker rooms.

* * *

><p>Misato stood in the briefing room, awaiting the arrival of the pilots. She clenched her fists nervously.<p>

"Naturally, I'm the first one here. Those idiots should learn to be more prompt."

Katsuragi looked up to see Asuka fully clad in her red plugsuit, "02" written in black at the center of the chest. However, what caught Misato's attention was the red interface headset on the girl's head.

"You know, you really do look more mature with the headset instead of your old interface hairclips." She said with a smile, noting how much Soryu had grown since she'd entered her care.

"That was the idea. Those hairclips may have worked through high school, but they were definitely too childish for a college student." Asuka replied nonchalantly.

Soon after, Rei, Shinji, and Eric, also in their plugsuits, entered the room.

"Took you long enough!" Asuka chastised them. Rei simply smiled and Shinji shook his head, while Eric scowled, green eyes narrowing at Soryu.

"_Who does he think she is, acting like she's above the rest of us?" _the pilot of Eva-17 wondered, slightly agitated by the redhead's attitude.

Captain Katsuragi smiled. She was still the same old Asuka. Misato looked around at the gathered pilots and decided it was time to begin the briefing.

An LCD screen behind her came to life, displaying a live feed of the Angel. "This is our target, the Third Angel. It is currently twenty five kilometers north of Clinton, Iowa and is advancing toward our location as we speak."

Asuka smirked, her voice brimming with overconfidence. "Doesn't look so tough."

Eric raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, looking at the abomination on the screen. "That's an Angel? Geez, I'd hate to see what NERV classifies as a demon then."

There was a snicker from Rei at the sarcastic remark.

"So who is going to be sortied?" Shinji inquired, bringing the briefing back on track.

Asuka cracked her knuckles, "I can handle this one."

Misato, Rei, and Shinji were far from surprised at her volunteering.

"Okay, but we don't know the strength of the Angels yet, so I'd like to sortie a second Eva as backup. So, we have Unit 02 and . . . "

Katsuragi's gaze scanned the pilots before coming to rest upon Eric, a grin spreading across her face. "Let's see what the newest addition to our arsenal can do. We're deploying Unit 02 and Unit 17. Unit 01 and Unit 00 will remain on standby."

"WHAT!?" The Second Child roared, "Why do I have to work with the newbie? I can take that thing on my own! I don't need an idiot like him dragging me down."

"Hey! What the hell is your problem?! You haven't even given me a chance yet!" Braddock glared daggers at her, not taking kindly to being dismissed so easily.

Shinji sighed, _"Why do I have a feeling that these two are not going to work together easily, if at all?"_

* * *

><p>"Remember Eric, the Eva relays your thoughts into action. That includes the assault rifles integrated into Unit 17's back-mounted pylons." Ritsuko reminded over the comm link.<p>

"Right." He gripped the butterfly controls in the entry plug firmly, his heart pounding. _"Piloting a giant cyborg? This could be fun. Alright 17, time to see what you've got."_

"Everything is nominal. Moving Eva Units 02 and 17 to the launch pads." Maya announced on the bridge.

As both Evas were positioned on the launch pads, Eric got his first view of Evangelion Unit 02. Its humanoid form made it stand about ten meters taller than Unit 17's saurian form. The red, white, and orange armor gleamed in the light.

"_That's Unit 02, huh? Now I'm curious about Unit 01 and Unit 00."_

Eric's train of thought was broken when Misato yelled out two words.

"Eva launch!"

He suddenly felt the g-forces pulling down on him as the launch catapults fired, hurtling both Evas upward.

* * *

><p>Alarm klaxons blared and armor plates on the streets above retracted as the massive weapons surfaced, the Angel visible as it arrived at the opposite bank of the river.<p>

Final safety locks released, setting the two cyborgs free.

"So, what's our plan of attack?"

Asuka grinned confidently as Eric's question came over the comm link. "That's easy. We hit it fast and hard. Get ready to see an amazing display of piloting."

"Oh, stop being such a showoff. We need to be smart about thi-"

His words fell on deaf ears. Asuka had already raised the assault rifle that Unit 02 was carrying and was aiming it right at the approaching Angel.

"Oh, to hell with it! I'm not letting you put me to shame here." Braddock growled. His mind gave a command, and the two assault rifles mounted to his Eva's pylons aimed at the Angel too.

The air became filled with a hailstorm of gunfire as both units unloaded on their target, only for their assault to be stopped by some sort of barrier resembling concentric orange octagons.

"It's an AT Field!" Ritsuko shouted. "As long as the Angel has that field up, you won't be able to touch it!"

"Scheiss! Then what are we supposed to do?" Asuka watched as the Angel finally made landfall on their side of the river.

She didn't have time to wait for Dr. Akagi's answer, as the AT Field suddenly dropped, two black tendrils shooting forth towards the Evas.

Asuka's response was instant. Unit 02 ducked and rolled, losing hold of the assault rifle, but evading the attack completely.

Unit 17, on the other hand, didn't get off scot-free. The saurian creature received its pilot's command to dodge, but Eric's relatively low synch ratio caused a slight delay in the Eva's actions.

Eva-17 shifted its body just enough that it avoided the brunt of the hit, but still got a glancing hit to the side of its face.

In the entry plug, Eric felt the blow. There was suddenly a sharp, stinging sensation in his cheek. He soon realized what had happened. _"Right, I'm neurologically synched with the Eva. On some level, I feel what it does. Forgot about that."_

Braddock shook his head rapidly, as if he was trying to shake the sensation away, the Eva also shaking its head in tandem.

Za'afiel retracted its tendrils and continued to advance forward.

Unit 02 stood, all four of its green optics glowing. "I've had enough of you!"

Asuka pushed forward on the joysticks, her Eva breaking into a run. 35,000 tons of red and white cyborg hurtled towards the Angel, drawing its fist back. Asuka let loose her punch. . . . only for it to meet the abomination's AT Field.

"Damn! How am I supposed to get through that field?"

* * *

><p>In Central Dogma, Ritsuko pondered the solution to their problem as she watched Eva-02's fist collide with the AT Field.<p>

"_If there was some way to neutralize the phase space, then maybe we could. . . . wait!"_

Akagi snapped her fingers at her realization.

"That might work! Asuka, deploy Unit 02's AT Field, it might be able to neutralize the Angel's!"

* * *

><p>Having no better ideas, Asuka went along with Dr. Akagi's suggestion. "AT Field to max power!"<p>

Evangelion Unit 02 began to expand an AT Field of its own. Sure enough, both fields began to collapse until they were no more. Unfortunately, this left Unit 02 unprotected, in close proximity to a very irate Angel.

With a deep roar of irritation, black tendrils wrapped around the Eva's midsection and began to constrict. Armor plating cracked and groaned under the relentless assault of the Angel of Rage, blood beginning to seep through the seams of the plates. Asuka shrieked in pain, her abdomen feeling like it was about to collapse in on itself as the Angel squeezed tighter and tighter.

Eva-02 was lifted into the air, being drawn in closer to the Angel as the behemoth opened its deformed jaws. Its maw beckoned, a gaping hole surrounded by razor sharp fangs dripping in anticipation as they closed in, poised to remove the trapped Eva's head.

Suddenly, a silver and blue blur flashed by its vision as another set of toothy jaws dug into the Angel's side. It screamed in pain and anger, loosening its grip on Unit 02 as it turned to address this new foe.

Asuka took advantage of Unit 17 distracting the Angel. _"Spike launchers."_

Orange, triangular plates of armor flipped open, revealing six tubes within each of Eva-02's shoulder pylons. Twelve giant metal spikes leapt forth from them, stabbing into Za'afiel's flesh. Ichor streamed out of these wounds as the Third Angel roared with ever-increasing rage, releasing its hold on Unit 02 before stumbling backwards in pain. Eva-17 roared in its own way, jerking its saurian head to the side as it threw its weight back, ripping a jagged chunk of flesh free in a shower of angelic blood.

"See, aren't you glad I was here?"

"Shut up, Fourth! I could have handled it myself!"

"That's no way to treat someone who just saved your hide!"

In their bickering, neither pilot noticed that Za'afiel had transcended simple rage, its fury causing its form to bubble and twist as several more tendrils erupted out of its reforming back. They shot forth, grabbing the one that had wounded it so, the saurian form of Eva-17. A tendril wrapped around its jaws, binding them shut against its efforts to free itself, and another snatched around its ankles. With a colossal jerk, it hauled the Eva off its feet with a strength born from righteous fury and dragged it towards itself. Its jaws opened again with a roar, poised to rip the Eva's throat out.

Eric found that he could barely move his own jaw. This whole situation was kind of creepy, as well as a bit frightening. But he couldn't have screamed if he wanted to.

The Angel's jaws got closer and closer. It looked like it was the end of the line. _"I get belittled by a bitchy redhead and then killed by an 'Angel'. What did I do to deserve this fate?"_

Then suddenly, the Angel dropped him, the glow behind its eye sockets extinguished. Eric had been so focused on his apparent doom that he had not noticed Asuka deploying one of her progressive knives. The knife that was now jammed into the Third Angel's core.

The red orb began to bubble. Za'afiel, Angel of Rage, burst into a red, blood-like liquid, which then rained down upon Stone Grotto.

* * *

><p>"That was pathetic! I honestly have no idea why you were chosen as a pilot."<p>

The Angel defeated, the Eva pilots had changed back into their normal clothes and convened in the break room. Asuka was currently bitching at Eric about his performance in the battle.

Braddock ground his teeth, getting increasingly annoyed with his fellow pilot. "You know, considering my synch ratio and having not been trained yet, I think I did pretty well. After all, I took its attention off of you long enough so you could get free."

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I broke free all on my own. The only thing you did was take a chunk out of its side." With that, she did an about-face and walked away.

Braddock threw his hands up in the air. "Really, that's all the credit I get!? I'm really starting to hate that bitch."

"That's just Asuka for you." Shinji said after a swig of water.

Eric sighed, "_That was terrifying. I never expected piloting a mech could be so painful. But still, all that power at my fingertips. . . . it was kind of exciting." _He mused internally.

* * *

><p>The room was dark, save for one spotlight that illuminated the desk in the center. Floating around it in a circle were seven monoliths.<p>

"I'm sure you gentlemen will be pleased to know that the Third Angel was dispatched successfully." Gendo Ikari announced from his seat at the desk.

"Excellent. Then everything is going according to plan." One of the monoliths, labeled 'SEELE 01', boomed.

"Just remember, Ikari, defeating the Angels is just one of your tasks." SEELE 02 added. "Remember, our primary goal is the Human Instrumentality Project."

"I assure you, SEELE's plans will come to fruition." The commander calmly steepled his fingers.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

-Special thanks to my friend Delkion for beta reading this chapter and tweaking the fight scene I had written to make it extra awesome.


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